iStockphoto/Thinkstock(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- Gov. Edmund "Jerry" Brown declared a state of emergency in California on Saturday caused by a number of wildfires that have burned thousands of acres, destroyed residences and damaged infrastructure.

The first of the fires began on July 25 in El Dorado and Amador counties, and as of Aug. 1, there were 17 fires burning across the state. Brown noted in his proclamation of a state of emergency that one of the fires had crossed over the border from the state of Oregon.

The state has also been suffering from a drought which prompted a previous declaration of a state of emergency by Brown in January, which increases the risk of wildfires and makes each fire more likely to spread.

Brown is calling on the California National Guard to mobilize in order to support disaster response and relief efforts across the Golden State.

Earlier on Saturday, the state of California had placed two more C-130 military planes equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems on active duty to fight the fires. Two of the planes had previously been made active. The planes feature a special tank inside the cargo hold that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or flame retardant in approximately five seconds.

The four C-130 planes are half of the state's eight available MAFFS-equipped C-130 planes, and are supporting 15 civilian planes battling the blazes.